Lalah Hathaway, very talented Jazz artist has released her latest CD titled Outrun The Sky and Wow! It’s really a good one.
This one grabs your attention right out of the gate with How Many Times and doesn’t let go until the very last note of the very last song Boston, which by the way is another great track.
One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Lalah Hathaway’s most impressive releases ever.
If you’re a Lalah Hathaway fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don’t even have to be a fan of Hathaway, or even Jazz to know is good. It’s just good music. Period.
While the entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are How Many Times [track 1], Forever, For Always, For Love [track 4], and Outrun The Sky [track 6].
My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 3, Your Favorite Song. It’s a great track!
Outrun The Sky Release Notes:
Lalah Hathaway originally released Outrun The Sky on Sep 28, 2004 on the ARK 21 label.
CD Track List Follows:
How Many Times Back Then Your Favorite Song Forever, For Always, For Love Better And Better Outrun The Sky If U Ever In The End Admit It Stronger We Were 2 More Boston
Personnel include: Lalah Hathaway (vocals); Mike City (various instruments); David Delhomme (guitar, keyboards); Chris Parks (guitar, bass guitar); John “Jubu” Smith (guitar); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Tim Carmon (Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Michael White, Poogie Bell (drums); Ricky Rodriguez (percussion).
By: Tom Milson
Jazz music has had a checkered history. It is widely believed that jazz was possibly born in New Orleans sometime in the 1920s. It is said that early African Americans, probably slaves, stumbled on to jazz music while trying out a fusion between their native folk music and the European form. In its early days jazz was more popular in bars. Perhaps it was this dubious association which prevented the growth of jazz music till the advent of the radio. The instruments popularly used were accordion, fiddle, flute, guitar, various percussion, wind, string and chord instruments. The most popular of them all were the guitar and the piano.
Today jazz music is popular once again. The main reasons for the popularity of jazz are two. Firstly, jazz has an individualistic style of rendition and secondly, jazz has a natural rhythm which is lilting and captivating. Amateurs and would be professionals today practice jazz piano using a variety of means. The obvious choice is of course the internet. One common method is to use websites which have a wide selection of songs using the piano as the prime instrument. You as the learner have a number of options. First of all you can select your favorite song. Secondly, you can select your choice of accompaniment and then you can practice jazz bass lines. Your options do not end here. You can also select the pitch, the song duration and its rhythm as well. Therefore, you could use a metronome as a guide for the rhythm or the beat. Since the metronome’s beat is adjustable you could increase the beat gradually while you practice jazz bass lines. You can practice to your heart’s content till you are satisfied. Once you are convinced that the result is satisfactory you could download in either the MIDI or MP3 formats.
An amateur wanting to practice jazz piano no longer faces the insurmountable task of looking for a teacher and commuting to his school during each visit. In the comfort of his home he can now learn jazz music.
By: Akhila Choudhary